The sun has just come up for the new day, and it was the first day of sophomore year for Milo and the gang. School buses drove through the streets, and kids of all ages walked down the sidewalk with their bookbags on their backs and their parents by their side. Milo leans on the closed gate of Sal’s Pizza, flipping his sidekick open to see if Gwen had written him back.
Moments later, he hears someone call out his name.
Jennifer: Milo?
Milo: *looks up* Pep?
Jennifer: The hell are you doing standing outside of Sal’s for? Pizza for breakfast is not good for the first day of school.
Milo: *teases* Yeah? And the powdered donut from Dunkin’ Donuts is?
Jennifer looks at the white paper bag in her hand before answering Milo back.
Jennifer: It’s a glazed donut, smartass.
Milo smiles at the banter. Jennifer grabs Milo by the arm, prompting him to begin walking away from the pizzeria.
Jennifer: Seriously though, we never meet in front of Sal’s. I deadass thought you forgot about meeting up before school.
Milo swallows hard and bites the inner part of his lip. He clearly forgot that he mindlessly agreed to meet with Jennifer on AIM last night.
Milo: C’mon, it’s the first day of sophomore year; we are finally not the fresh meat of Waverly anymore.
Jennifer and Milo cross the street, continuing to walk down the various blocks to the school.
Jennifer: You think we’re gonna be in any classes together? It was a bummer that we only had vocal last year.
Milo: That depends if you actually went to take the Regents that you were suppose to take last summer–
Jennifer playfully slaps Milo’s arm as he laughs.
Jennifer: Took them and passed, smartass 2.o! Did you pass your regents, or were you too busy spending every awakening day with your girlfriend?
Milo’s face flashes red, seeming embarrassed. Jennifer immediately notices and begins to act awkward. Thankfully, the encounter is cut short when they hear someone calling out their names the closer that they get to the school. Both Jennifer and Milo turn around and notice Danny running down the block with Nicki following behind him.
Nicki: Danny! I have flats on!
The young couple finally reach up to their friends, greeting them for the first time this school year.
Danny: Sorry, babe.
Nicki rolls her eyes as she catches her breath.
Jennifer: Ahh, just like a married couple. When’s the wedding?
Danny’s face becomes flushed, shy about the question. Jennifer laughs as the four of them begin walking closer to the school. Milo slips his phone into the side pocket of his bookbag, occupied with his friends… and Danny, who is slowly beginning to get on Milo’s good side. The gang walks into the front doors of the school, ready to see what the second year of Waverly has in store for them.
…
It is now the fourth period of the day, and Milo walks into the next class on his schedule. He wasn’t looking forward to taking Physics as a sophomore, considering it was a class full of seniors. The different students began to come in the classroom; many of them in cliques and in regular clothing. Any students that walked into the room with a uniform was an underclassmen. To Milo’s surprise, he notices Gwen walking into the classroom. It finally clicks to him.
Milo: *whispers* Fuck…
Gwen looks around the classroom and notices Milo. They both lock eyes before she turns around, sitting in a seat in the front row. Milo sighs and gets up from his seat, sitting directly behind Gwen.
Milo: *nervous* Hey, Gwen–
Gwen: Don’t even talk to me.
Milo: I’m sorry, I totally forgot that were supposed to meet.
Silence.
Milo: Gwen–
Gwen: *turns around* Next time, maybe you should try letting me know that you actually don’t plan on sticking to your word.
Milo: I said I was sorry, and I truly am.
Gwen looks at Milo more hurt than angry. Milo sighs, feeling horrible.
Milo: How about we hang out during lunch? We can go into one of the West Wing rooms and have lunch in there.
Gwen: You actually brought lunch with you?
Milo smiles, happy to see that Gwen was still willing to talk to him. He reaches in his bookbag, and pulled out a pack of chocolate wafers. Gwen looks at them, and then back at Milo.
Milo: Forgive me?
Gwen smiles as she shakes her head.
Gwen: You’re something else, Milo Kamalani.
Milo smiles and places the cookies back in his bag once their teacher comes into the classroom, immediately quieting the class down. Gwen faces forward and pays attention to the lecture as Milo daydreams behind her.
…
Milo races down the hallway during passing, navigating through the crowds of students standing around in his way. One of those groups happened to be Jennifer, Nicki, and Danny, standing along their lockers. Jennifer was the one to notice Milo first, but doesn’t say anything as he passes by.
Milo finally gets to the West Wing, reaching the front desk. He is clearly out of breath.
Milo: One rehearsal room, please.
Receptionist: *stoic* Name?
Milo: Milo Kamalani, dual major.
The receptionist looked up at Milo and straightened her posture.
Receptionist: My apologies, you can go into room V28.
She hands Milo the keycard for the room. Milo smiles back.
Milo: Thank you.
Milo walks down the long hallway of West Wing rooms. It’s been a long time since he’s walked these halls and went into one of the rooms. Before he is able to successfully get to his rehearsal room, someone sneaks up behind him, startling him.
Milo: Ahh!
Milo turns around and notices that it’s Gwen. She laughs as Milo lets out a sigh of relief.
Milo: Gwen–
Gwen: *laughs* I’m sorry, but I just had to.
Milo smiles and immediately notices a slight bump poking through her uniform shirt. He doesn’t say anything; he just smiles at her.
Milo: *teases* Oh, so if I do something like that to you, I’d be wrong?
Gwen: I doubt you can scare me like that.
Milo: Who said anything about scaring you?
Milo playfully takes the beanie of Gwen’s head, surprising her. she tries to grab it back from him, but the height difference between them is playing into effect.
The two teens are laughing until they notice someone standing at the end of the hall. Gwen suddenly gets shy, yanking the beanie from Milo and puts it on her head. Milo looks down at Gwen, pulling her cardigan across her little baby bump.
Diana pops her gum and looks at the teen couple. She rolls her eyes as she begins to walk toward them.
Diana: The West Wing rooms are for rehearsals only, but I guess you two like to use them to do other things.
She looks directly at Gwen, Gwen swallows hard as she tries to avoid looking directly back at Diana.
Diana: *to Gwen* I’m surprised to seeing you here, alone, with a boy. Nevr would’ve thought little miss goody two shoes would do something as scandalous as that.
Milo poked his shoulder in the space between Diana and Gwen, defending her.
Milo: Go find someone else to bother.
Diana: Oh please; stop trying to be a big macho man in front of Gwen Messrow of all people.
Milo: *annoyed* I mean it, Diana; leave her alone.
Diana looks at both Milo and Gwen before laughing out loud.
Diana: You guys are so lame, it’s not even worth wasting my breath.
Diana bumps Gwen while passing her, shoving her shoulder. Gwen doesn’t say anything; she just stands there. Once Diana leaves, Milo turns around and looks towards Gwen.
Milo: Are you okay?
Gwen: I’m fine, I just try not to engage with her…
Milo: Yeah, but she’s a bitch, so–
Gwen: *shocked* Milo!
Milo: What?
Gwen: You should never call a girl the B-word, no matter how much she may be one.
Milo smiles at Gwen’s comment. Gwen smiles back at him.
Milo: Sorry, mom.
Gwen playfully slaps Milo on the shoulder. The teen couple walks further down into the west wing Milo had reserved. He holds the door open for Gwen as she enters, sitting in one of the folding chairs in the rehearsal room.
Milo hands Gwen his bagged lunch; Gwen looks up at him confused.
Gwen: What is that?
Milo: The lunch I brought for you.
Gwen: Isn’t this your lunch though?
Milo: I never said that the lunch I brought was my lunch.
Gwen watches Milo unbag the lunch; inside was a small peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a bag of chips, and a small box of juice.
Milo: I know it’s not much, but I didn’t want my mom to think I was taking the entire fridge to school with me.
Gwen: *laughs* That’s… really sweet of you.
Gwen takes the sandwich from Milo and unzips it from the bag. Milo observes Gwen; he can’t help but look down at her small belly every now and then–
Gwen: Milo.
Milo: *snaps out of it* Huh?
Gwen: *playful* Didn’t your parents teach you that it’s impolite to stare at people?
Milo smiles.
Milo: *flirty* I was looking at the baby; not you.
Gwen looks down at her bump. She quickly covers it with her sweater.
Milo: Don’t hide him now!
Gwen: *laughs* What happens if the baby is a girl?
Milo: Then i would call her “she”, but he isn’t.
Gwen: And how can you be so sure?
Milo: *smiles* I’m not, but something is telling me he’s a boy.
The teens smile as they sit together, spending the lunch period together. Gwen doesn’t notice just how hard it is for Milo to keep his eyes off of her and her bump. She only notices when she catches him daydreaming, staring into space without a care in the world.
Letters From Liz. 